The present invention relates to an electric vehicle, for example, a compact electric automobile, an electric bicycle, an electric wheelchair or the like using a rechargeable secondary battery and an electric motor driven by electric power of the battery and, more specifically, to a technology of preventing illegal use and theft of the electric vehicle.
In the present state of affairs, there is no end to the illegal use or theft of motor-assisted bicycles, motorcycles and the like, and an electric vehicle is also susceptible to the same risks. In addition, a secondary battery used in the electric vehicle is expensive, and thus it is necessary to protect it from being stolen. Moreover, this also applies to the charger for charging the secondary battery.
In a conventional electric vehicle, however, allowance/disallowance of drive/movement is controlled only by a mechanical key, not by an electronic one, with protection insufficient against illegal use or theft. Further, there is no antitheft means for critical components such as the secondary battery and the charger in the status quo.
The present invention is made to eliminate the disadvantages of the prior arts as described above.
More specifically, its object is to make improvement in prevention of illegal use and theft of an electric vehicle to thereby prevent it from being stolen. Further, its other objects are to enhance antitheft effects and to improve usability and further, when a critical component such as a secondary battery or a charger has been stolen, to prevent the component from being used in other electric vehicles.
In order to achieve the above-described objects, this invention is made such that an electric vehicle including at least a pack of rechargeable secondary battery and a charger for charging the secondary battery which are mounted on a vehicle main body to be attachable/detachable thereto/therefrom respectively, an electric motor for driving a running section such as wheels and the like, and a controller for conducting control to drive the electric motor by electric power of the secondary battery is configured as follows.
Specifically, nonvolatile memories for storing a password are arranged in the vehicle main body, each secondary battery and the charger respectively, and a display and operation unit for inputting a password and means for bringing the vehicle into a state capable of being driven only when the password inputted through the display and operation unit matches all of the passwords stored in the respective memories of the vehicle main body, each secondary battery and the charger, are arranged in the vehicle main body.
Alternatively, it is more preferable that a display and operation unit for inputting a password, a key switch, and means for bringing the vehicle into a state capable of being driven only when the password inputted through the display and operation unit matches all of the passwords stored in the respective memories of the vehicle main body, each secondary battery and the charger after the key switch turns ON, are arranged in the vehicle main body.
In each of these electric vehicle, a wheel rotation detector for detecting rotation of the wheels, an alarm generator such as a buzzer, a siren or the like, and means for determining whether or not the vehicle is moved by a predetermined specified value or more based on rotation detection information from the wheel rotation detector in a key-OFF state or in a waiting state, allowing the alarm generator to give an alarm and the display and operation unit to display a request for input of a password when the determination is made that the vehicle is moved by the predetermined specified value or more, and thereafter stopping the alarm by the alarm generator only when the password inputted through the display and operation unit matches all of the passwords stored in the respective memories of the vehicle main body, each secondary battery and the charger, are provided, which makes it possible to prevent theft.
Alternatively, means for allowing the display and operation unit to display a request for input of a password when the determination is made that the vehicle is moved by the predetermined specified value or more based on rotation detection information from the wheel rotation detector in a key-OFF state or in a waiting state, and thereafter allowing the alarm generator to give an alarm when a password is not inputted through the display and operation unit in a predetermined period of time or when the inputted password does not match all of the passwords stored in the respective memories of the vehicle main body, each secondary battery and the charger, may be provided.
Further, in each of these electric vehicle, the display and operation unit has a password change mode selector, and means is provided which, only when the password inputted through the display and operation unit matches all of the passwords stored in the respective memories of the vehicle main body, each secondary battery and the charger after a password change mode is selected by the password change mode selector, allows the respective memories to rewrite and store a new password inputted thereafter, which makes it possible that only a person who knows the password stored in them can change the password arbitrarily only when a proper secondary battery and charger are mounted.